In this intimate portion of his letter, Paul discusses marriage, virginity, and consecration—not merely as moral or cultural guidelines, but as deeper symbols of conscious direction, creative fidelity, and inner focus. When read through the Law of Assumption, these verses reveal a sophisticated message: the virgin represents the untouched creative faculty (imagination), while marriage symbolises the binding of that faculty to a specific assumption or outcome.
1. Virginity and the Untouched Imagination (Verse 25)
KJV: “Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.”
BBE: “Now about virgins, I have no orders from the Lord, but I give my opinion, as one who, through the Lord’s mercy, is judged to be true.”
Symbolic Reading:
Paul’s statement of personal judgment speaks to spiritual integrity—not law, but conscious discernment. Neville often taught that your inner choices must be deliberate and faithful, especially when imagination is “virgin”—still untouched by any assumption. The creative power is most potent in stillness, in purity. Don’t rush to bind it to any form until you know what you want.
2. Present Distress and the Wisdom of Stillness (Verse 26)
KJV: “I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.”
BBE: “In my opinion then, because of the present trouble, it is good for a man to keep as he is.”
Symbolic Reading:
When you are disturbed or distressed, it is not the time to assume a new state. This aligns with Neville’s insistence on emotional stillness before moving into the imaginal act. Remain unmoved until you can see clearly. Commitment made in confusion often leads to miscreation.
3. Binding and Loosing: State Commitment (Verses 27–28)
KJV: “Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.”
BBE: “If you are joined to a wife, do not make yourself free: if you are free from a wife, do not go in search of one.”
Symbolic Reading:
This is not about human relationships, but about assumed states of consciousness. If you are currently living from a certain state—wealth, peace, success—persist. Don’t abandon it prematurely. If you are free of one, don’t blindly enter another. Neville would say: don’t scatter your creative power; remain focused.
4. The World as Passing Image (Verses 29–31)
KJV: “…for the fashion of this world passeth away.”
BBE: “…for the form of this world is changing.”
Symbolic Reading:
The outer world is not permanent—it reflects inner assumptions. What is seen is ever-changing because it is a shadowing cast by what you assume within. The Law of Assumption teaches that you do not react to the world; you create it. Detachment from outer forms gives you control of your inner state.
5. Divided Consciousness and Creative Weakness (Verses 32–35)
KJV: “He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord…”
BBE: “But I would have you free from care. He who is not married gives his attention to the things of the Lord…”
Symbolic Reading:
To be “unmarried” in this passage symbolises a consciousness that is not yet committed to any particular assumption or state. It remains open, observant, and capable of high fidelity to the unseen. According to Neville, this condition reflects a potent stillness—a state of readiness to enter union with the ideal. Once you marry the imagination to a desired state, creation begins. But before that moment, the unmarried soul is not distracted; it is discerning. It waits to join itself to the assumption it is willing to persist in.
6. The Conscious Choice to Marry the Imagination (Verses 36–38)
KJV: “He that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.”
BBE: “So then, he who gives his virgin in marriage does well, and he who keeps her unmarried does better.”
Symbolic Reading:
To “give the virgin in marriage” means to consciously attach your imagination to a chosen state. This is the act of deliberate assumption. But there is even greater wisdom, Paul says, in keeping her unmarried—reserving your inner power for a higher, more aligned desire. Neville would agree: the fewer states you commit to, the more potent each assumption becomes. Choose well. Assume only what you are ready to persist in.
Closing Thought: Assumption is Union
This passage, when seen through the Law of Assumption, offers not external rules but spiritual wisdom: your imagination (virgin) is powerful; what you bind it to (marry) shapes your world. Be careful not to act from unrest or external pressure. Remain faithful, focused, and detached from the ever-shifting world of form.
To assume is to marry—to bind yourself to an inner state with full commitment. But there is strength, too, in remaining inwardly unmarried, until the desire that calls you is worthy of the union.
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